Approaches to the Assessment of Entry - Level Motorcycle Training : An Expert Panel Discussion

Research Note training have found mixed evidence for the effect of rider training on motorcycle crashes. Billheimer's (1998) matched-pair analysis of trained and untrained motorcycle riders is the only study conducted in the United States that has found a reduction in crashes among trained riders during the first 6 months following training. Among novice riders who rode less than 500 miles on a motorcycle prior to training, the trained riders had a lower 6-month crash rate of .39 per 100,000 miles than untrained riders who had a 6-month crash rate of .85 per 100,000 miles. These differences were not evident after 6 months or among riders who rode more than 500 miles prior to training. Internationally, there have been a number of studies that have attempted to evaluate rider training. The Federation of European Motorcyclists (1997) reviewed 16 academic research papers that looked at the relationship between rider training and rider crashes from 1979 to 1996. Of the 16 studies, 8 concluded that " training did not reduce the likelihood of the rider being involved in an accident, 7 said the effect was positive, and 1 was neutral " (p. 11). Therefore it is still unclear as to what extent rider training reduces crash involvement. There are several important issues to consider when evaluating rider training to allow for any firm conclusions on the relationship between rider training and crashes. A methodologi-cally strong study should consider: Consistency Across Training Programs: ■ ■ Many programs differ across States, cities and even sites. An evaluation of rider training should be designed to minimize this inconsistency to better isolate the impact of rider training on crashes. Self-Selection Bias: ■ ■ One difficulty with comparing trained riders to untrained riders is that the trained riders may be more safety-conscious and thus result in a study comparing two different populations. Ideally a random assignment of riders to the There has also been a consistent increase in motorcycle fatalities over this same period that cannot be solely explained by the increase in exposure. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (2009) suggests that motorcycle training is one way to reduce motorcycle crashes. In addition, the importance of motorcycle training to motorcycle safety is evident through the funds set aside by Congress in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) under section 2010. One aspect of these funds was to help States increase their …